The New Future
by CrazySocialist
Summary: My first fic in this category. This is the quest of Akira, a young man who needs to find his own humanity. He and Ashitaka become invloved in the adventure of their lives. -A new chapter is up. I know it's been a long time. Sorry for the wait.
1. Prologue

Body Title: The New Future 

Genre: Drama/Fantasy 

Warnings: R for violence and gore, mild obscenities, and strange behavior. There also might be some humor, however, it probably will not be humorous to you. 

Note: I do not own the rights to Princess Mononoke in any way. All credits for the characters go to its respectful creators. 

Author's Note: This story takes place after the original movie. It contains an original story, some original characters, and some plot alterations from the film. 

Prologue 

The early morning sunlight stretched its wide beam across the valley. The lush and ancient forests still existed to an extent in the north. The air was cool and fresh, the perfect day to be outside and enjoy life. The forests were a place of beauty for many people, and also a place of taboo. Some people were terrified to even step a foot under the forest canopy. 

On particular young man felt especially good this morning as he walked outside and squinted against the brightness. He felt that he had finally found a place to settle. His previous life had consisted of the road, among other things. He wore shoddy clothes, a robe with sheep's wool pants and a small cloak. He had no money. He had no parents or family. However, he still felt good. 

He had chores to attend to this morning. The rice fields, as usual, needed picking. The weather was graciously warm, allowing for a good crop. He was fine with doing chores, as long as he had a place to live. There had been an old and cranky man who had reluctantly taken him in. 

Despite all this, he knew there was something missing... 

"Akira!" A gruff voice shouted from behind him. "Stop daydreaming and get to work!" Akira was snapped out of his daze as he turned around to look at a plump, balding man with an angry face. 

"I am sorry, sir..." 

"Save your apologizes, boy. You are lucky I gave you a job after hearing of your reputation." 

"My reputation?" 

"Nobody wants to hire an ex-mercenary. You will probably end up cutting my throat while I sleep, then steal my horses!" The man's face was flushed. He seemed to be genuinely angry. Akira was used to this behavior from him though. 

"Why can't you try to be cheerful once and a while? I try my best." Akira replied. His voice was calm and articulate. They old man could never understand how this beast of a man could talk so well. The old man smiled a little. 

"When you get to be my age, you'll have your chance to be cranky. Now get to work." The man then walked by into his hut. Akira turned back to the field, ready to start his work. 

"When you get to my age, you'll..." Akria mocked the old man's voice. That man was unpleasantly grumpy, and his hut had a funny odor. Akria frowned. Something came back into his head: a childhood long forgotten, and his epiphany in his early teens. The young man did not want to focus his mind on these things. They were just old memories, he could easily push them aside. He wanted nothing to ruin his day. 

At least an hour and a half later, he had two baskets full of rice. He thought that would be enough for now. He wiped the sweat off his brow; the day had become quite hot. He brushed a hand through his long, dark brown shoulder length hair. It was sweaty as well. His clothes smelled like sweat. Akira started to feel a little unhappy. He could not seem to rid his mind of a thought he was holding. This thought was desperate. It wanted to remind him of the past, of a duty he still held. He knew he remembered, but he could do nothing about it. He started back toward the house. 

"Did you get the rice?" The man's gruff voice said. 

"Yes, two baskets." The man snorted, and got up off a chair made of reeds. He went outside and Akira followed him. He looked at the rice on the ground, and snorted again. 

"Looks good enough. I need you to cut some trees down for me." The man pointed to some young trees on the edge of his rice field. "I am going to expand my field." 

"I cannot cut down trees." Akira bluntly said. The man looked him straight in the face with a large frown. 

"What did you say?" The man was irritated. 

"I said I cannot cut down trees, it makes the Gods angry." Akira explained in his low, calm voice. At first the old man looked puzzled, then he let out a raspy laugh. 

"You actually believe that?" 

"Yes, I have lived in the forest, I have seen the Gods." The man's expression changed quickly. Akira's did not. He still held the same, serious look on his face. 

"No human has ever seen them and lived to tell about it." 

"They must have liked me." This made the old man very puzzled. He definitely thought he should not have hired this young man. He was beginning to think he was insane. 

"Most of the Gods still hate humans." The old man explained to Akira. "However, a little while ago a young man settled many problems with the Gods." 

"Oh?" Akira replied. He was relatively uninterested. 

"This man already had a legend about him, although its only been months. It's called the 'Legend of Ashitaka'." At the mention of that name, Akira's head bolted to face the man's. Akira's eyes were full of surprise. 

"What was that name you spoke?" 

"Ashitaka." The old man said again. Ashitaka. Akira thought about it more now. Memories flooded back into his mind, most of them painful. However, when he thought of this name, many pleasant memories came to him as well. This was the name he had not wanted to hear, that his mind wanted to shut out. He was glad he had heard it now, although he was experiencing waves of emotion. Akira was silent for a long while. The old man continued to look at him. 

"Snap out of it, boy." Akira focused his attention on the old man again. 

"Tell me more about this Ashitaka." The old man sighed. 

"Well, he was a man who saved the village of Iron Town to the south of here. It is run by the Tantara Clan. Word has it that he is the lord of the town now, after the death of Lady Eboshi, its former proprietor." Akira thought about this carefully. Wow, Ashitaka was a legend, he thought. Akira always had thought that Ashitaka was dead. Akira knew what he had to do if he wanted to find ultimate happiness in his life. He knew what was ahead of him. 

"I have to leave." Akira said to the old man. 

"What?" He replied, surprised. 

"Please, I have to go, it means a lot to my life. It is something I must to for myself, and some others." The man sighed again. He knew this would happen. Once a drifter, always a drifter. 

"If you leave, you can never get a job here again." The old man said in a threatening voice. 

"I understand." Akira instantly turned and ran to the main village to see Gen, the weapon smith. Gen had a kind heart, and was sympathetic to people like Akira. He was always prone to give Akira things, even if he would never see them again. 

Akira rushed up to Gen's hut. He was starting to pant from all the running. He hoped he was making the right decision. He saw Gen inside the small open room beside his hut that served as his weapon shop. Inside was a stoked fire, and an anvil. Gen was sitting pounding on a piece of metal with a large hammer. Gen was known in the village for making excellent swords and bows. Gen saw Akira outside the opening, breathing heavily. 

"Why, hello Akira." He said cheerfully. "What has gotten you like this today?" Akira was trying to catch his breath. Although he was in good shape, sometimes his stamina was low. 

  
"There...is...not...much...time...to...explain." He rasped out. 

"Okay, slow yourself down. You've sure got yourself worked up." Gen stepped outside and handed Akira a jug that contained water. Akira took a large swig of the water, letting it slide down his chin. His breathing slowly subsided, and he felt that he could explain now. 

"I need a sword, and a bow and some arrows." Akira spat out quickly. Gen just stared at him in shock 

"You are kidding right?" He looked at Akira's face. "You are not kidding." Gen gave a long sigh and thought a little. "I give you a lot of things Akira. But now you want a sword, and a bow. I cannot keep doing this!" 

"Please, Gen. This could finally lead to something in my life. Something that will make me happy." At this, Gen gave consideration. He knew Akira was a drifter, and a loner that spoke little about his past. He also knew the young man seemed to be unhappy, no matter what facade he put on. Akira also was not one to lie, and if he was sincere about this, it could lead him to the missing link in his life. Gen gave this some thought, and then decided to give in. He sighed once again. 

"All right." Gen said, somewhat exasperated. "I will give you these things." 

"I do not know how to thank you for your kindness..." 

"Oh, you do not need to thank me." Gen interrupted. "I just hope you find happiness in your life." Gen stepped inside his house and brought out in one hand a katana in its sheath, and in the other hand, a bow. He handed both to Akira. 

"This is one of my best swords, and one of my best bows. I want you to use these to remember me. How many arrows will you need?" 

  
"Thirty should be fine." Akira took the sword and unsheathed it a little ways. He saw the silvery glint as the sun reflected off of it. It was a fine blade indeed. Gen returned with a quiver of arrows. After, he gave Akira a jug of water, and some rice. He also gave him a brown sack to carry these items in. 

"Take this belt too." Gen handed him a piece of leather. "You can attach your sword to this and put it on your waist." Akira proceeded to attach his sword, then put the small sack on his back, along with the bow and arrows. 

"Tell me, Akira." Gen started. "Will I ever see any of this again?" 

"I will make you a promise." Akira said solemnly. "I will return and repay you somehow. You have my word." 

"You have always kept your word before, so I trust you. Oh, you'll need these." Gen reached into his pocket and threw a tiny sac that jingled into Akira's open hand. "There are thirty copper coins there. Spend them wisely." 

"Thank you for all of this, my friend." Akira said to him. Gen patted the young man on the shoulder and smiled. He admired Akira, as he reminded him somewhat of himself when he was younger. 

"May I ask you what you are looking for out there beyond the mountains." Gen nodded to the direction of the horizon, which the haze of the late morning was filling. There was a pause between them, and a slight breeze caused Akira's hair to blow in his eyes. He brushed it away, and turned to Gen once again. 

"I am going to find a brother." Akira said to him. His deep green eyes were looking at Gen with a passion beneath him. The weapon smith knew the young man was dead serious. 

"I hope you find what you are looking for. Go now, and I will await your return. You take care of yourself too, there are many dangers. You should not have too much of a problem with that though." Akira smiled and gave a brief wave to Gen. 

"Goobye. I will honor my promise." With that, Akira started on the road towards the seemingly endless horizon. Deep within his heart, he knew he would find what he was looking for. Somewhere among the lush, mystical forests and the awesome mountains he would find his new future. There, he would find his brother. 


	2. Part I

Body

Part I 

1 

It was already becoming cooler as the evening moved started to settle upon the land. Akira had been walking southwest along the road for most of the day. It was a quiet journey, and a pleasant one. It gave him time to appreciate the trees and the mountains around him. Mostly, people did not take the time to appreciate nature. The sun was slowly starting to set. He squinted and looked ahead, and saw the sunlight sinking beyond the mountains where he was headed. He knew he would have to find a place to rest soon, as he was becoming tired. 

A little ways more down the road, Akira saw smoke coming from atop the distant trees. That meant there was a village located there. Akira paused for a moment, then checked the sack he was carrying. He slapped himself on the forehead once he realized he had forgotten to take a blanket. He thought that perhaps he could get one in the village. He kept walking along the path, and shortly got to the village. It was small, almost an encampment. There were several huts off to one side, and in the middle, an open market. Most of the shops were starting to close up. 

One was lavishly dressed, in a long and colorful robe. He had a rather large shop, and Akira observed he had many blankets and other things, including bowls and vases. This caught Akira's attention, and he approached the man. The man was sitting cross-legged on one of his carpets, staring straight forward. He saw Akira approach, and gave a wide smile. 

"Well, a traveller!" He exclaimed, getting up. "May I interest you in some of my wares, friend? I have had little business today." Akira thought that the short, jovial man was a little odd. 

"Um...well, I'm interested in buying a blanket." Akira responded. 

"Really?" The man said, putting his arms at his sides. He sounded interested. He casually put his arm on Akira's shoulder. "You know, I haven't had any company in a long while, why don't you have dinner with me at my place?" At first, Akira thought of refusing, but then reconsidered. He thought the man looked harmless enough. Besides, he was getting a free meal. 

The Vendor's hut was larger than the others, and it was nicely decorated. Akira guessed that he was well off. He took a quick look around, then the man beckoned for him to come sit on the floor around an oak table. The table was also nicely carved. 

"Oh, I'm sorry." The man said. "I seem to have forced all this upon you very quickly." 

"No problem at all. Thank you for your hospitality." Akira replied. 

"My name is Jo. I'm a local merchant here. I travel around and collect goods from lands far away." 

"My name is Akira." Akira said. 

"Where are you from?" 

"I come from nowhere." Jo looked at Akira suspiciously. To the merchant, he seemed like a strange man. 

"You have to be from somewhere if you pack weapons like that." Jo observed as Akira placed his bow on the floor. 

"I used to be a mercenary." 

"A mercenary?" Jo asked. He was instantly interested in what this shadowy character had to say. "Wait here, I'll get some food." Jo quickly got up from his seat, and went through a covering into another room. Akira waited patiently for awhile, thinking to himself. Jo finally appeared bringing two bowls of soup. He set them down on the table in front of them. 

"So," he started, continuing the conversation "Why are you traveling alone like this?" 

"Well, I am going to find my brother." 

"Your brother?" 

"Yes." Akira tasted some of the soup, it was fairly good. 

"Do you have any other family?" Jo sipped his soup slowly, as he asked. Akira thought about this for a few moments. 

"No." He said. It was a lie, of course. 

"So where have you been living all this time?" 

"I was recently in a small village North of here. Before that, I was a drifter. I used to go around looking for work as a mercenary. I used to sleep in the forests." 

"The forests?" Jo was instantly surprised by this. 

"What is the big deal about the forests?" Akira asked. He was genuinely wondering why people feared the forests so much. He had come to the conclusion that people feared the Gods of the forest. They would be angry for humans destroying the forest. 

"I'm surprised you're still alive." Jo commented. "Anyone who goes there usually does not come back out again." 

"Ever since I was young, I appreciated nature, and the beauty of it. I used to spend time out there alone. The animals and Gods seemed to accept me." Akira said, his eyes on the floor. Jo thought he was sincere, and this shocked him. 

"Well, you must be different." Jo said, he finished up his soup. 

"Yes, I was always an outcast too. Nobody wanted to associate themselves with a killer." 

"Did you chose this life?" Jo asked. 

"No." Akira replied sadly. 

"Then you shouldn't have anything to worry about." Jo smiled, and patted Akira slightly on the back. 

"Thank you for the meal." Akira said. 

"Oh no problem, it was good to have some company. Do you need a place to sleep?" 

"That would be perfect. I cannot repay you for this." Jo smile again. 

"It's nothing. You have to have a good heart, and even though I've only talked to you very little, I know you are a good man, and hope you find what you need to. I have a mat you can sleep on over there." Jo pointed to the corner. 

"How far is it from here to Iron Town do you think." Akira asked. He wanted to know how long he would have to travel. 

"On foot? About 3 or 4 days, depending on the route you take. The main road will get you there quickly. You have to cross the mountains though." 

"Should not be a problem." Akira replied, moving past the table to where the wool mat lay." Jo walked to the side and picked up a blanket. 

"Here, you can keep this." He tossed the blanket to Akira. "You owe me nothing friend. Perhaps we will meet again." 

"I will be leaving early tomorrow." 

"That's fine. Good luck on your travels." Jo disappeared into a back room. Akira lay down upon the mat, and spread the blanket over him. He hope everyone he met was as kind as this. He knew he had a long journey ahead. 

2 

5 days later 

The bluff overlooking Iron Town was a fantastic sight to behold. From there, the whole town could be seen among the lake and the surrounding mountains. Ashitaka enjoyed taking walks out in the hills. The immediate forest was slowly regaining itself. There were many beautiful flowers and grasses among the ruins of the forest. If one were to go further inward, the remaining forests could be reached. 

After the war between Gods and humans, things had been at peace. Ashitaka always thought he needed a break, and tried to take his time with things. He was now the lord of Iron Town, after the previous Lady Eboshi had perished. He had decided to stay here among the friends that he had. However, he always felt there was something missing. He looked back to his childhood, and early teenage years to a time he would never dare speak of. He felt happy that he had found somewhere were he could call his home, but he needed what was lost from him, what he was ashamed to talk about. 

Over the years Ashitaka had been disturbed by what he could not do in the past, for what he could not stop from happening. He hated himself for it. He also had hated his father for what he had done, but told no one. Everyone that Ashitaka came across knew little of his past. He did not want to tell anyone either. He was most ashamed of his father, and what he had done. 

Ashitaka continued his walk in the forest, and came across a fallen log. Beside it, a small tree grew out of the soil. He decided to take a rest and sit down. He looked up at the blue sky, and thought to himself how nice it was to be alive. He was contemplating heavily, and did not notice a whizzing sound as an arrow went right past his ear and stuck itself into the tree beside him. His eyes popped open immediately, as he dove to the ground. Someone was trying to kill him. Another arrow came through the air with the same shrill whistling, and stuck in the ground beside him. He heard slight laughing in the distance. 

"Who's there?" He called out into the forest, still remaining on the ground behind the log. 

"It's been a long time, brother." A distant, mellow sounding voice answered him. Ashitaka was immediately flooded with disbelief. Could it be him? 

"Are you really him?" He called out again. 

"Why don't you take a look for yourself. I am coming out." Ashitaka cautiously raised himself off the ground and looked ahead of himself. In front of him, about five meters away, stood a short man, with long and unruly brown hair. He wore simple clothes, which looked like dirty rags. It was him. 

"Akira?" 

"It's me." Ashitaka stood there for a moment and then rushed toward him, he embraced Akira, and Akira returned it. Akira felt a flood of emotion come to him, and felt a tear in his eye. He looked at Ashitaka and saw he was slightly crying as well. 

"I promised I would see you again, brother, and I found you." Akira said and smiled. 

"How long has it been?" Ashitaka asked. 

"I think six years." Akira patted Ashitaka on the back, and looked at him. 

"I am overjoyed that you found me, Akira. We can finally be a family again." 

"I hope so." Akira stood back and examined Ashitaka. 

"You sure have grown taller, and obviously stronger. I am shorter than you." 

"You have grown too, especially your hair." Akira laughed a little at his. So did Ashitaka, he had not heard that laugh in years. 

"I do not mean to be rude, brother, but you smell rather bad." Ashitaka commented. 

"I have been traveling in the forest for a week. What did you expect." Akira grinned. 

"I wanted to ask you, how did you ever come to be in this village?" Akira asked. 

"I will take you to the village." Ashitaka said in a happy voice. "I shall explain everything there." 

As they walked, the emptiness inside of Akira instantly seemed to be filled. The deep void that he had possessed in his soul was closed up. He was now with someone that he knew from a long time ago, someone he loved and would always protect. He knew everything could be perfect though. He hoped so at least. In the past for him, nothing had stayed in excellent status for ever. 


	3. Part II

Body

Part II 

1 

The gates to Iron Town opened and Akira was led inside by Ashitaka. As soon as Akira was inside, he saw a whole new world before him which he had never seen before. Around him were brand new houses, and a newly build marketplace. In the distance was an enormous building with a cloud of smoke lazily rising from the top of it. In the distance he heard the blacksmiths' hammers, and the chatter of many people as they walked along the dirt roads. Surrounding the town was a high battlement, with several guard towers. Akira observed there was armed sentries in the towers. The midday sun was pleasantly warm, and many people seemed to be enjoying the day. 

Ashitaka led him forward towards the center of the town. Many people stopped to look at the disheveled man they saw before them. This made Akira feel somewhat uneasy. He was not used to large places like this. Ahead in the road, Ashitaka stopped and waited for Akira to come up beside him. Akira saw a large, bald headed man approach them. 

"Who is this man?" The bald headed man asked Ashitaka. The man's voice sounded mean and spiteful Akira thought he was probably captain of the guards. 

"This is my brother, Akira." Ashitaka said cheerfully. The bald headed man examined Akira closely. So close that Akira could smell his rancid breath. 

"Is that right?" The man said questioningly. "What gutter did he crawl out from?" He said spitefully. 

  
"Silence yourself, Gonza." Ashitaka scolded the man. "I will not have you berating my family like this." Gonza looked at the weapons Akira was carrying and frowned. 

"I've got my eye on you, boy." He walked off past them, purposely bumping into Akira as he passed by. 

"You must excuse him, brother. He does this to everyone. It was the same when I first came here." 

"That was certainly unpleasant." Akira mumbled. Ashitaka led him before a large building, and they both walked inside. Akira let his eyes adjust to the darker environment, and then took a look. It was an expansive place, with ornate decorations and carvings gracing the walls. It had a large, central room, with a low table, and several beautifully woven carpets. Akira could not believe this. 

"This is your house?" Akira asked. 

"Yes, it is." Ashitaka responded blankly. Akira took a step forward and looked around more. He could see doorways off to a few more areas. His brother owned all of this. All of this was his. Things he himself had never had. 

"You are certainly living the life of a rich man. Look at this place. Look at you, you're wearing silk clothes." Akira pointed to Ashitaka as he talked. 

"You have all of this, and I've been living alone, never having anything." 

"Is that resentment, I hear in your voice, brother?" Ashitaka asked him frankly. Akira stood there looking at him blankly. Ashitaka took a step toward Akira. 

"If it is, I cannot blame you. I was not the one to give myself all of this. I know you have had a much harder life than I have, but we are together again. You can live with me now." 

Ashitaka said kindly. Akira sighed loudly. 

"I am sorry, Ashitaka. It is just that-that I have never seen things as great as this in my life. I was always just a pathetic mercenary." 

"You do not need to think like that any longer." Ashitaka said to him. "We can talk later. Right now, you can take a bath in the back room." Ashitaka pointed to a narrow corridor to the right of him. 

"Thank you." Akira said, and followed Ashitaka into the corridor. 

2 

That evening, Akira and Ashitaka sat around his table on the soft carpets. The town had died down in activity, and the sun was slowly setting behind the low hills. It was becoming cooler, and a feeling of peace was filling the town. Ashitaka had prepared them dinner, which consisted of fish, and some oddly prepared rice. It tasted good anyway. A small lamp was in the center of the table, illuminating them with a soft light. 

"How long has it been since the war with the Gods started?" Akira asked, examining his brother. 

"Around 10 months." Ashitaka replied, taking a bite of his food. "In fact, Iron Town was just finished a small time ago, from being rebuilt." There was a pause between them, and for a moment the sat in silence. 

"What have you been doing for all this time, Akira?" Ashitaka asked him. Akira frowned and looked forward at the lamp, watching the flame dance, casting shadows upon the walls. 

"I have been a mercenary." 

"A mercenary?" 

"Yes." Akira took a deep breath. "I have had no other choice. I had skills in combat, so I used them to fight for whatever army would pay for it. I've been all over, and with different armies." 

"Haven't you had a place to stay?" Ashitaka asked him. 

"No. I've just stayed wherever I can find shelter. If I'm not working, in the forest." 

"In the forest?" Ashitaka was surprised to hear this, and put down his plate of food. 

"Yes. The Gods seem to leave me alone. I feel at peace there." 

"The Gods must like you, Akira." Ashitaka replied to him. "That is a good thing." 

"The Gods must like you too." Akira said, looking straight at his brother. "I mean, after all you have done." 

"They approve of me, but I am still a simple human, doing human business." Ashitaka observed that Akira was almost finished his food. It was like he had not eaten in weeks. 

"So what exactly do you do here now, Ashitaka?" 

"I am now the lord of this town, appointed by the people, after the unfortunate death of Lady Eboshi." 

"Is that right?" Akira said flatly. He sat down his plate when he finished all his food. 

"That food was excellent, brother." 

"I am glad you liked it." 

"I didn't know you could cook." When Akira said this, Ashitaka laughed a little. 

"I have learned a lot since I have come upon this place." Ashitaka paused after finishing. Akira had a serene look on his face, as he sat, thinking. 

"Why did you leave the village in the first place." Akira asked. Ashitaka sighed, and then thought back to that time, which was not long ago. 

"I had a curse put on me by a demon. I had to leave because I needed to find the answer for the curse, which I did find in the end. I had to leave our people, though." Akira remained thoughtful, and felt sympathy for his brother. However, he had struggled much throughout his life. 

"I am sorry to hear that, brother." Akira said solemnly. 

"Do not be sorry, Akira, I feel much more sorry for you." Ashitaka said back, with a look of concern on his face. Akira, for the first time in his life, felt touched and wanted. He felt a rush of emotions as strong as a river surge through his body. Emotions he had not felt in a long time. Akira sat, looking at his brother, a brother who had once been a best friend, a brother who he had taught everything to. 

"Brother..." Akira started. "I have finally found you again, and am very happy, but I can never forget what was done to me." 

"I-I know Akira...I-I'm sorry that I-" 

"It makes no difference now. I was mistreated then, and I will probably be mistreated more. Have you had to wander from place to place thinking about when you would get your next meal?" Akira had worked himself up, as the pain from the past flared up inside him. 

"No brother. For that, I am fortunate. But you need to put your past behind you. We are together again, It can be better this time." Ashitaka finished up. He was expressing himself in an emotional way, which made Akira feel like he was overreacting. 

"I hope you are right, brother." 

"I hope so too. You have nothing to worry about anymore." For a period of time, both of them sat there studying each other. Then Akira decided to speak again. 

"I feel weary, brother. I would like to go to sleep now." 

"Of course, let me show you to a bed." 

"Can I ask you one more thing?" 

"Of course." Ashitaka said. For him, talking to his brother again was a joy. He could remember many times they spent in the past together. 

"Why are you doing this for me?" 

"Because you are my family." 

"I am a killer, Ashitaka. I sometimes think I don't belong here." 

"We have all had problems with those things before, but that does not make you a bad person. You need to start realizing what you as a person have." 

"You are right, Ashitaka. Thank you." Akira said, ending with a smile. Ashitaka led him into a corridor, to which he would spend the night. 


	4. Part III

Body

Part III 

1 

The morning was cool as the sun rose over the low sloping hills. Akira was already awake and sitting outside of Ashitaka's house, sitting and looking at the dawn. Ashitaka saw him and sat down beside him. Akira's long hair blew in the gentle breeze. His face was intent. 

"Good morning." Ashitaka greeted cheerily. 

"What's so good about it?" 

"I do not know, maybe how we see the blue sky and sun. We also must take in the fact that we are alive, we could have died in our sleep." Ashitaka chuckled as he said this. 

"Hmmm, I suppose you're right, brother." Akira responded. 

"I think I am going to take it upon myself to show you the better part of life. I myself had to learn again.You need to forget about the past, and live in the present." 

"Well, I hope you do a good job." Akira said smiling. There was a pause between them. There was a slight cool morning breeze that passed over the village. In the distance Akira saw people starting their new day. 

"I think we should spend some time together." Ashitaka broke the silence. 

"What did you have in mind?" 

"Oh, there is someone I want you to meet." 

"Someone in the town?" 

"No no, a friend that lives in the forest?" 

"What kind of person lives in the forest?" 

"This person does." 

"Why?" 

"Because this person likes it in the woods." Ashitaka said smiling. This was rather amusing. "You lived in the forest sometimes." 

"True. All right then, I'm up for it. I could use more friends. This person won't try to kill me?" 

"I am sure that will not happen." Ashitaka said, standing up. "We should get going." 

"Where to?" 

"The east." Ashitaka went stepped forward and watched as Akira went back inside the house. 

  
"Where are you going?" 

"I need to get something." He said disappearing. When Akira came back he had his Katana tied to the belt on his waist. 

"I do not think you will need that." Ashitaka said. 

"You never know, brother." Akira replied. Ashitaka simply shrugged and led the way toward the low hills in the east. Akira had no idea where his brother was taking him. He sure hoped it was something worth it. This was family though, he could trust them. 

Trust was something that was hard to come by in Akira's eyes. He had been pushed around and betrayed enough in his lifetime to know when to be wary of certain people. The people he saw in the village already made him nervous. 

Ashitaka and him walked up the hills, filled with long grasses, toward the forest line. Akira like it outside in nature. It gave him a certain feeling, a feeling of safety. It was beautiful when one took the time to appreciate the vastness before them. It was too bad not too many people did. After they went into the forest a little ways. Ashitaka told Akira to stop and stay there. All Akira saw in the distance was a slight rock formation, perhaps a cave. 

"Brother, you brought me to nothing." 

"This is something." 

"No, it is not. This is a cave. You said you wanted to show me your friend. Your friend is the cave?" 

"No." 

"Are you well?" Akira asked. Ashitaka just laughed and proceeded forward. Akira waited there for awhile, milling about in a circle, listening to the ambiance of the forest. Akira was not really paying attention when Ashitaka stepped up right beside him. Akira jumped and shouted a little. 

"You frightened me." Akira said, then laughed. Ashitaka laughed again too. It was good to laugh. 

"Follow me now, brother." Ashitaka motioned Akira to follow him. Akira followed him towards the cave-like object, which was indeed a cave. There, standing to the side, Akira saw someone standing there. A young woman, about as tall as him, with long brown hair and bluish eyes. She was wearing some strange clothes. 

"San." Ashitaka began, turning to the girl, "this is my brother." He said with a smile on his face. For a moment, there was a pause between the three of them. The girl was looking at Akira, making him a little nervous. 

"Is that you?" She said in a soft voice. Ashitaka turned to her and looked puzzled. The girl walked up to Akira and touched his face. She had a soft hand. 

"It is you." She said smiling. "Ashitaka, this is the boy I saw in the forest many times." 

  
"What? You saw me?" Akira sounded surprised. 

"Many times, even before I met Ashitaka." Akira's astonishment on his face turned into a frown, then he jumped back. 

"Wait! You're that crazy girl that rode those wolves around! You were the one that must have killed my horse awhile back!" 

"I did not." San said. "I saw you had a horse but I left you alone, you seemed to be at peace in the forest." 

"Then who took my horse? Ronin? Do they actually go into the forest?" 

"Calm down, brother." Ashitaka said, patting his shoulder. "I do not think she is lying." Akira took a deep breath and sighed. 

"All right, I am sorry. I get a little jumpy sometimes." 

"It is understandable." San said smiling. "I liked you since I saw you, you're not like most humans." Akira's face turned to a look of bewilderment. Ashitaka laughed. 

"I will explain in later." He said. "Me and San have to go discuss something. You know where the village is though. Why don't you explore around the area?" Akira nodded his head and San and Ashitaka walked off. 

2 

San and Ashitaka were walking together on the hill overlooking the village. It was a nice day, early in the morning. They were silent for a little while. Ashitaka was thinking of what he would say. He knew the story of his brother. He thought that he should tell San, he knew he could trust her. It seemed to him that she was open to understanding Akira, because in a way, he was much like her. If this was true, Ashitaka thought that explaining would make it easier to understand his brother. His brother needed more people to care for him. 

"San?" Ashitaka said. She turned her head. 

"Hmm?" She replied. 

"You must excuse my brother, he had not had an easy life." 

"I could tell." She said. "I didn't know you had a brother." 

"I never told you. I did not know we would ever see each other again." 

"So what happened between you?" She asked. 

Ashitaka went on to explain himself. He told her the way that his father mistreated Akira. Their mother had died giving birth to Akira. Even though Ashitaka and him were fraternal twins, their mother died through complications with Akira. His father always blamed Akira for her death. He was exceptionally hard on him, and beat him quite often. Eventually, Akira left and became a mercenary. He could not take it anymore. When Ashitaka was through, San sat there silently. 

"That's sad." She said. "I feel sorry for him". 

"Even though we were the same age, he was always the stronger one, no matter what. He taught me many things. I thank him for that." 

"Are you going to stay together now?" 

"Yes. He'd be glad to help out. Asano's samurai would love to get a hold of this town." 

Ashitaka had been busy talking, and both of them did not hear the sound of hooves behind then. Ashitaka turned around and felt a searing pain as an arm connected with his face. He fell over backwards down the hill. San tried to escape, but was trapped by two samurai on horseback. 

"That's what happens when you leave your guard down." One of them said, laughing. 

"We should have killed him." The other said. 

"You know we need him." The other replied back. "But look what we have here, a nice little girl." The both laughed. San stood bracing herself for their attack. She knew what they would do if they caught her. 

"Your fault for being in the open." One of the samurai said. 

"Hey you! Why don't you pick on someone who has a weapon?" A voice said from behind. All of them looked, and San saw Akira standing close by, sword at ready. 

"Who are you?" One of the samurai asked. 

"Who I am is not your business. However, my business is what you are doing. You are trying to hurt my friends. I don't like that." 

"Go away boy, unless you want to get killed." 

"Boy?" Akira said, acting surprised. "Is that what you call a killer?" The samurai had had enough. Both of them charged Akira on their horses, but he just stood there. Right before the first one came, he sidestepped, and slashed up with his katana. It cut deep into the samurai's side. He gave a yell, and fell over backwards. The second samurai rode right past him. He quickly grabbed the fallen samurai's bow, and an arrow, and shot one straight at the coming man. It contacted with his neck, and the man grabbed it, in a futile effort to stop the squirting blood. The samurai made a gurgling sound, and fell off his horse. 

Akira ran over to check on San, who came towards him. She looked happy and surprised at the same time. 

"You saved my life." She said to him. 

"Do you think I would let you die? Even though we just met, it doesn't make your life any less valuable to me." Akira had a very odd way of placing his words. San picked that up. They both then saw Ashitaka climbing up the hill. He was covering his face with one of his hands. Akira ran to him, and grabbed him by the shoulders to support him. Akira observed blood coming from both his nose and mouth. 

"Is it broken?" Akira asked. 

"I don't think so." Ashitaka replied. San took a look at him. 

"It's not broken." She said to Akira. 

"It hurt though." Ashitaka said. Then he saw the bodies of the samurai. And looked at Akira. No explanation was needed. 

"Thank you." Ashitaka said. 

"What is family for?" Akira said, as he bent down and wiped the blood off his sword on the grass. He then put it back in it's sheath. 

"Who were they?" Akira asked. 

"I'll tell you later." Ashitaka said, pointing to the horses, who were standing still nearby. They needed to go back. 

"Are you sure you can ride?" Akira asked him Ashitaka nodded. 

"I'll be fine." Ashitaka and Akira gathered the horses and mounted onto them. 

"We'll visit you later San." Ashitaka said to her. "Go back to your home, and be careful. They saw you." With that, Akira and Ashitaka started to ride back to the village. San just stood there watching them for a moment. There was something about Ashitaka's brother that made her think. She liked him, but it was not in the normal way. At least from what she thought. 


End file.
